Shloka 17
एकान्तिधर्म-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into Ekāntin Dharma) / The Origin and Practice of Single-Pointed Nārāyaṇa-Centered Discipline
(शान्तनो: कथयामास नारदो मुनिसत्तम: । राज्ञा पृष्ट: पुरा प्राह तत्राहं श्रुतवान् पुरा ।।
bhīṣma uvāca | (śāntanoḥ kathayāmāsa nārado munisattamaḥ | rājñā pṛṣṭaḥ purā prāha tatrāhaṃ śrutavān purā ||) pūrvakāle me pitā mahārājaḥ śāntanuḥ pṛṣṭavān; munisattamaḥ nāradaḥ tasmai etāṃ kathāṃ kathayāmāsa; tadā tatraiva aham api etat śrutavān || rājopacarico nāma babhūvādhipatir bhuvaḥ | ākhaṇḍalasakhaḥ khyāto bhakto nārāyaṇaṃ harim ||
Bhishma berkata: “Dahulu kala, ketika ayahku, Maharaja Śāntanu, bertanya kepada resi utama Nārada, Nārada menuturkan kisah ini kepadanya; dan pada saat itu pula aku hadir dan mendengarnya. Pada zaman silam, di bumi ini ada seorang raja bernama Rājoparicara. Ia termasyhur sebagai sahabat Akhaṇḍala (Indra) dan sebagai bhakta masyhur kepada Hari Nārāyaṇa, Sang penghapus dosa.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage foregrounds the authority of dharmic knowledge transmitted through reliable lineage: a king seeks counsel, a foremost sage narrates, and Bhishma testifies as an eyewitness listener. It also sets an ethical ideal for rulers—worldly power aligned with devotion to Narayana, the remover of sin.
Bhishma introduces a story he heard in the past when Narada spoke to King Shantanu. He then begins the tale by naming an ancient ruler, Rajoparichara, describing him as Indra’s friend and a renowned devotee of Hari Narayana.